Bad defense often = L.

The three rookies KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles banks on starting Week 1 (if healthy) on defense better grow up in a hurry. Otherwise, changes could be in the air in a few months.

Noted handicapper turned stathead Warren Sharp dug up some very interesting numbers how defenses help their teammates on the other side of the ball.

Sharp documented that only one quarterback’s team has a winning percentage in games when that team’s defense coughs up 28 or more points. That would be Josh Allen and Buffalo.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have a .500 record when the Eagles give up 28 or more points. Every other quarterback in the NFL has a losing record when his defense allows 28 or more points. And that includes Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.

And before folks jump on the Mayfield-sucks bandwagon, please note that Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert aren’t much better. And Joe is convinced the Mayfield haters would embrace the chance to land Burrow or Herbert if Mayfield left.

Mayfield’s winning percentage with the Bucs when the defense coughs up 28 points is .077. For comparison, Herbert’s record is .083. Burrow is .091.

But the point of this article is not to bash Mayfield. Again, all but Allen have winning records when playing with a bad defense.

The point of this article is it’s high time a defensive head coach and defensive coordinator get the defense’s act together. That really isn’t too much to ask.

team win % by QB when defense allows 28+ points:

0.538 – Josh Allen (7-6)
0.500 – Jalen Hurts (7-7)
0.429 – Patrick Mahomes (3-4)
0.360 – Jared Goff (9-16)
0.333 – Davis Mills (2-4)
0.333 – Brock Purdy (3-6)
0.308 – Lamar Jackson (4-9)
0.286 – Sam Darnold (2-5)
0.286 – Kirk…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 28, 2026